This month’s Orangeville Campus spotlight focuses on the Social Service Worker (SSW) program. The SSW program has been offered at Humber Orangeville since 2010. The region in which the campus serves has significant social service agency support which provides students and graduates with opportunities for placements and employment. Many of our graduates have gone on to further education and/or careers in their chosen field. We are proud of these students and wanted to share some of the reflections of some of our outstanding Orangeville staff and students.

Gail Buckley, SSW Graduate (2014) – IGNITE Award Winner – Client Service Representative/Social Service Worker, North Peel & Dufferin Community Legal Services
When I think back on the Orangeville campus, I think about how Joe and his team made their students feel. I was not just a number. It was an experience where teachers knew my name and they were willing to support my learning. I would not be where I am today in my career if it wasn’t for the encouragement and support that I received from the Humber Orangeville team.

Shannon Pride, SSW Graduate (2013) – Support Facilitator/Turtle Island Educator, White Owl
My time at Humber Orangeville is one that I will cherish and will continue to hold on to the experience that I had there. The campus experience for me was a great one. The campus was small, and you came to know all of the faces and you always felt welcome. I was given the opportunity to come back and present to other SSW students. What an honour and privilege it was for me to be able to give back to the school that set me on the path to where I am today.

Melissa-Ann Roberts, SSW Graduate (2015) – Masters of Social Work Student
Humber Orangeville is where I began my post-secondary studies. I have completed my Bachelor of Social Work and currently I am working on my Masters of Social Work. Humber Orangeville is a small campus but it felt very much like a community. It was an incredible feeling, being able to know each classmate and professor by name and having the opportunity to establish relationships with them.  Humber Orangeville will always hold a special place in my heart.

Lori-Ann McDonald, SSW Graduate (2017) – Women’s Advocate, Domestic Violence Shelter, and Counsellor, Rape Crisis Centre
I am thankful for my time at Humber Orangeville and thankful for the lifelong friendships that I gained. Thankful for the foundational lessons that I learned from the great professors and staff onsite. There are many memories that I will forever hold dear.

Robin Cudney, SSW Graduate (2013) – Community Employer, Coordinator of Volunteer Services at Avalon Care Centre
Humber Orangeville is where I started my SSW career. I am the Coordinator of Volunteer Services at Avalon Care Centre and I have had the honour of recruiting and mentoring so many students from Humber Orangeville. This partnership has meant so much to me and to our residents who have formed many positive relationships with Humber’s students. I cannot say enough about the wonderful faculty at the Orangeville campus and we truly appreciate the dedication they have shown to their students and placement partners.

Pastor Kerry Duffield (former Director of the Lighthouse Soup Kitchen)
I had the opportunity to oversee work placements for Humber College SSW students for more than seven years. Students who did placements at the Lighthouse interacted with the clients on a personal level and helped them see our community of Orangeville from a different perspective. The students from Humber were able to give support and friendship to a segment of the Orangeville community that often went unnoticed and forgotten. I considered it a privilege to oversee the student placement program at the Lighthouse and having the opportunity to invest into the lives and futures of each student.

Johanna Magee, Professor, Student Advisor
I became part of the Humber Orangeville team in 2011, and the past nine years have become some of the best years of my life. The icing on the cake for me is watching students learn and grow, and become leaders in their field. It’s most rewarding to see students gain a foundation here and then go on to complete degrees in Social Work and/or go on to be successful in their careers. My colleagues have become my friends and have proven to be the most dedicated and supportive team that I have worked with.

Lisa Morris, Professor & Program Coordinator, SSW Diploma Program
What I love most about the Orangeville campus is that the faculty and staff have always put the needs and success of the students first. I enjoyed teaching there each fall semester, and while I will miss it greatly, I am thankful that I have so many fond memories.

Look for next month’s Orangeville Campus reflection, as we’ll be focusing on other program offerings and student and alumni success.

Joe Andrews
Principal – Orangeville Campus